Clinical thermometer.



R. F. SCHNEIDER, ommen Tnnuouwnn. APPLIQATIOIHLED HAY 17, 1910,

994,482, Patented Jim@ 1511.

HHHIHHHIIHIHIIUU E M nu i l Y' Arrofgrs sp ecifcation.

.To all it concern: l Be it known that I, RALrH *UNITED STATES PATENTcarros.

RALPH F. soHNEinn'njor `New Yonxj N. Y., AssI'GNo'n rro CHARLES J.raemanun, or BROOKLYN, New Yoan. i

-GLINIoAn THERMOMETER.

F. SCHNEIDER, a citizen ofthe United States, and resident of thevborough of Bronx, city, county, and State of New York, have invented acertain new and useful Improvement in Clinical Thermometers, of whichthe following is a My invention relates to clinical thermometers and hasfor its object to improve the construction thereof so as to render suchthermometers capable of being accurately used by inexperienced persons.yTo this end the usual scale instead of being ,continuous "whichthegraduations indicate fever or an as heretofore is divided at a pointabove abnormal temperature and the two parts of 'said'scale placed outof alinementvwith each other. -To further insure correct Vreadings theportion of the scale 1n 'icatmg abnormal temperature-is maked wit'i aproper phrase or other mark indicating its character. Alsoif desired thethermometer tube may be i 'rendered opaque at the portions adjacent to25- the respective scale parts so that the mercury column Whenit risesabove the normal"'te1nperature mark VWill have thevappearance of twocolumns 4one of Which is opposite the no1-mal scale andthe other ofwhich is opposite the abnormal or fever scale;

Other 'objects of my im rovement Will appear from the description'ereinafter and the features o f novelty will be pointed out in theappended claims.

Reference is torbe had to the accompanymgldrawmgs m'vvh1ch' lgure 1isan'elevation of a clinical thermometer, constructed according to my1nventiong-FigQQus a cross section vthereof on tlieline 2-'-2 of Fig.1*; and Fig. 3 is a vieiv similar to Fig. 1 with the mercury above thenormal mark.l

In the drawings' 1 represents. the then mometer tube which is preferablyprovided Vwith two plane surfaces Q and 3 oppositely inclined orconverging away from the center or axis of sai-d tube andl formed withthe usual central longitudinal channel connected the bulb end Y.Speeication of Letters Patent, Application filed May 17,1910. SerialNo. 561,820.

Patented J une 6, 191.1.i

which is substantially the limit of normal temperature.A The remainderof the'scale or fever scale 6 is produced on the surface 3 and beginswith the graduation indicating ninety eight and four-fifths degrees andextends -to one hundred and ten degrees.

Preferably thislast portion of the scale or fever scale 6 is of adifferent color from that in Which tl'i'e graduat-ions indicating thenor mal scale are 'produced so that-the different portions will4 beclearly apparent withoutthe necessity for close in's ection. To furtheraid t-he inexperieneec user the Words Fever scale readings may `appearon'tlie surface 2 immediately adjacentor above the portion 6 of saidscale preferably in'the same color as saidportion 6.

In order to still further minimize the danger ofconfusion in thereading, the portion lofthe surface 3 adjacent to the scale 5 and theportion of the surface 2 adjacent to the fever scale?" (being theportions Where they bear no scale)` maybe rendered opaque in anysuitable manner as by etching, grinding or otherwise as indicated at 7.These opaque portions extend toward each other on opposite sides of anaxial line to a conilnon point and serve to Jartly obscure thc mercurythread as it gra ually rises. lVith this construction the mercury columnwill appear opposite the .center of the portion 2 as long as no fever isevident and will also appear opposite the center of the surface 3 themoment the said column rises above the normal temperature mark.. This is0c.

casioned by the fact that the eye cannot penetrate the opaque portionsof the inas shown' in F i g. 3. -Thus if on examination no mercury canbe seenopposite the indiiso cations on the surfacei .it is evident thatno fever exists in the patient and it is unnecessary to carefully notethe temperature indicated, whereas the moment the mercury column risesabove the opaque portion of the surface 3 the same Will be clearlyvisible opposite the scale 6 and the indicatedde lengthwise thereof"quick and able' tophysicians as it makes' possible a.V

"accurate readin without the necessity for careful positioning andinspec' tion of thel thermometer.

Various changes in the specific form shown and described may be madeWithin the scope of'- the claims without departing from the spirit of myinvention.

-The term converging as used in the specification and lclaims is to beunderstood. as covering curved or other surfaces. I claim:A l

1. A clinical thermometer comprising a tube having opaque portionsarranged out of alinement with each other so as to partly' conceal themercury thread.

2. A clinical thermometer comprising a tube having opaque portionsextending lengthwise thereof on vopposite sides of an axial line, so'astopartly conceal the mercury thread.

3. 'A clinica-l thermometer comprising a tube having, .opaque portions'extending axial line, so as to partlyl conceal the mer* on oppositesides of an cur' thread and scale portions "arranged opposite eachopaque portion.

4. A clinical thermometer comprising a tube havin opaque portionsextending lengthwise t ereof lonopposite'sides of an axial line andtoward each other to a com` mon -point so as to partly conceal the mer`cury thread and ascale portion opposite each opa ue portion.

' 5. A c inical thermometer comprising a Atube having an opaque portionon the reading side thereof, said opaque portion extending lengthwise ofsaid tube and'having its one end at a predetermined point interme` diateof the ends of the scale, said opaque 40 -portion beingl arranged topartly conceal a portion of the width of the mercury thread.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto 'set my `hand in A'the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

RALPH F. SCHNEIDER. Witnesses i JOHN A. KEHLENBECK, M. H. Looxwooo.

